Pinchas Cargher AM, known professionally as John Cargher (24 January 191930 April 2008), was a British-born Australian music and ballet journalist and radio broadcaster. He was born in the

Cockney Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...

area of London to a Jewish

rabbinical Rabbinic Judaism (), also called Rabbinism, Rabbinicism, Rabbanite Judaism, or Talmudic Judaism, is rooted in the many forms of Judaism that coexisted and together formed Second Temple Judaism in the land of Israel, giving birth to classical rabb ...

family, but was raised mainly in Germany and Spain, returning to England in 1931, which resulted in his trademark hard-to-pin-down accent. Cargher was interned on the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

in the Hutchinson Camp during World War II as part of the British Government's policy of interring those who they thought may be sympathetic to the Nazi regime. Using the pen name "John", he wrote for ''The Camp'' newspaper about the transformative effect that music played over the radio had on his well-being. He came to Australia with his wife and daughter in 1951. In

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, he managed Thomas's Records, and became managing director of the National Theatre in St. Kilda from 1969 to 1989. His many occupations included: aircraftman, art dealer, art exhibition organiser, assistant cameraman (films), author, ballet administrator, broadcaster, building designer, comedy writer, compere, concert promoter and manager, critic, diamond merchant, impresario, intimate revue pioneer, journalist, lecturer, mechanical engineer, opera producer, photographer, radio programmer, record producer, record retailer, recorded books reader, schools administrator, television presenter, theatre manager, theatrical agent, toolmaker and turner-fitter.

''Singers of Renown''

Carger's broadcasting career began on Melbourne commercial radio, with classical music programs on both

3KZ GOLD104.3 (call sign: 3KKZ) is a radio station broadcasting in Melbourne, Australia. It is part of ARN Media's Gold Network and broadcasts on the 104.3 MHz frequency. History 3KZ 3KZ commenced operations on 8 December 1930. The radio station ...

and

3XY Magic 1278 (official List of radio station callsigns in Victoria, callsign: 3EE) is a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Australia owned by Nine Entertainment, and run under a lease agreement by Ace Radio. History 1935–1991: 3XY 1935 ...

. He later transferred to the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

where he is most famous for single-handedly compiling and broadcasting ''

Singers of Renown {{Use Australian English, date=May 2011 ''Singers of Renown'' was an Australian radio program broadcast on ABC Radio National for 42 years, and presented for every episode by John Cargher. It became the longest continuously running Australian r ...

'', a weekly celebration of the great classical voices from the earliest days of recording through to the present day. The program was broadcast on ABC Radio. It started on 17 April 1966 on

774 ABC Melbourne ABC Radio Melbourne (official callsign: 3LO) is an ABC Local Radio station in Melbourne, Australia. It began transmission on 13 October 1924 and was Melbourne's second licensed radio station after 3AR. The other ABC Local Radio stations in Vict ...

(then known as 3LO) for what was meant to be a 13-week run. Such was its popularity that after 10 weeks it was transferred to the Australia-wide

ABC Radio National ABC Radio National, more commonly known as Radio National or simply RN, is an Australian nationwide public service radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. ...

network. ''Singers of Renown'' remained on Radio National after all the other classical music programs were transferred to

ABC Classic FM ABC Classic, formerly ABC-FM (also ABC Fine Music), and then ABC Classic FM, is an Australian classical music radio station available in Australia and internationally. Its website features classical music news, features and listening guides. I ...

in 1976. It became the longest continuously running Australian radio program presented and produced by the same person, and Cargher himself became the longest continuous program presenter in the ABC's history. Every recording John Cargher played throughout the program's 42-year run was from his own private collection, which he built on the couple of hundred 78s he brought to Australia. In Cargher's opinion the best modern musicals could become classical if they were presented by the best voices. Cargher never just introduced passages from various performances; he would also inject fascinating historical details. His retirement from broadcasting due to ill health was announced on 15 April 2008. His final ''Singers of Renown'' program went to air on 27 April. He died three days later. Cargher also broadcast a general classical music program ''Music for Pleasure'' on ABC Radio between 1967 and 1996. He also served as ''

Opera News ''Opera News'' was an American classical music magazine. It was published from 1936 to 2023 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild—a non-profit organization, located at Lincoln Center, that was founded to promote opera and support the Metropolitan ...

s Australia correspondent from 1972 until his death. On

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Flag of Great Britain, Union Flag of Great Britain by Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a ...

1987, he was appointed a Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

for his services to the performing arts in Australia. After his death, the ABC released a 3-CD tribute to Cargher, with 2 complete episodes of ''Singers of Renown'', and some excerpts from his ''Music for Pleasure'' programs. His books include: *''Music for Pleasure'' *''Opera and Ballet in Australia'' Cassell Australia 1977 *''There's Music in My Madness'' Thomas Nelson Australia 1984 *''How to Enjoy Opera Without Really Trying'' *''How to Enjoy Music Without Really Trying'' *''How to Enjoy Ballet Without Really Trying'' *''Bravo! Two Hundred Years of Opera in Australia'' *''The Good Classical CD Guide'' *''The Good Opera CD Guide'' *''Luck was My Lady: Memoirs of a Workaholic'' (autobiography; with a foreword by Sir

Zelman Cowen Sir Zelman Cowen, (7 October 1919 – 8 December 2011) was an Australian legal scholar and university administrator who served as the 19th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1977 to 1982. Cowen was born in Melbourne, and attended ...

)

Notes

External links

ABC "Singers of Renown" website

John Cargher 78 RPM Collection at Monash University Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cargher, John 1919 births 2008 deaths Theatre directors from Melbourne Radio personalities from Melbourne Classical music radio presenters Members of the Order of Australia Australian music critics Australian music journalists British emigrants to Australia